


Cherry medicine

by All_for_the_andreil



Series: Wholesome twinyards [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Aaron cares about his brother okay?, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Neil is worried, POV Aaron Minyard, POV Andrew Minyard, POV Neil Josten, Protective!Neil, Wholesome Twinyards, andrew is sick, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25201987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_for_the_andreil/pseuds/All_for_the_andreil
Summary: Andrew gets sick and pretends it’s fine. It isn’t and Neil has to take care of him. Only he has terrible medical knowledge. That’s where Aaron comes along.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: Wholesome twinyards [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981907
Comments: 12
Kudos: 391





	Cherry medicine

Andrew Minyard doesn’t get sick. Being sick means being vulnerable and Andrew was taught all his life that being vulnerable was bad, _dangerous_. He had to figure it out the hard way, but he was quick to realize it’s better to hide any symptoms of sickness, grit his teeth and pretend everything was fine, than to show any sort of pain. Other people liked to use it to their advantage.

He knows that now he doesn’t have to do any of that anymore. He is safe. He has a family that actually cares about him.

But still, when he wakes up in the morning with splitting headache and sore throat, his first reaction is to ignore it, push the pain aside and go on with his day as if everything was completely fine.

He pays little attention to everyone throughout the morning. Neil keeps throwing suspicious glances at him, but Andrew pretends he doesn’t see it. He drinks his coffee, suppresses the urge to wince in pain as he swallows, and does his best to tune out Kevin’s rambling, which seems to be louder than usual.

He drives them to the court, changes into his gear with some difficulty and suffers through practice.

 _It’s fine_ , he keeps telling himself as he feels the sweat running down the back of his neck and he can’t help shivering with cold. _It’s nothing_.

After the practice – Andrew shakes despite the hot shower – he drives the monsters back to dorm and from there they go to their own classes, only Neil lingers behind, waiting for Andrew.

“Don’t you have a class to run off to?” Andrew asks flatly without meeting Neil’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Neil asks him softly, ignoring his question.

“Nothing,” Andrew says, more harshly then he intended to. He takes his backpack and makes his way to the door. “Meet me for lunch?” He asks at last when Neil doesn’t move.

Neil nods and follows him out of the dorm. “Okay.”

Andrew manages to survive an hour of his first lecture before giving up. His headache is ten times worse than it was before, his throat hurts whenever he swallows and although he’s wearing a hoodie in 80 degree weather, he’s still shivering. He knows it’s pointless to sit through more classes, so he walks back to pleasantly abandoned dorm and without bothering to undress, climbs into the bed. Neil’s bed, to be precise. He tries to convince himself he chose it because it was closer and he didn’t have to climb up the ladder, but he knows very well it was mostly so he could burry his face into the pillows and inhale Neil’s scent.

He closes his eyes. _Just for few minutes_ , he thinks. _I’ll get up soon and meet Neil for lunch_. But he falls asleep before he can set an alarm.

Neil finds Andrew lying in bed. He _knew_ something was off with him and when he failed to show up at lunch, Neil went straight back to dorms.

“Andrew?” He calls him cautiously when he approaches him.

Andrew’s sleep was light, like cat’s and he usually woke up at any sort of disturbance, but now Neil walks to him and he doesn’t even stir.

Neil knows better than to touch Andrew, especially when he’s asleep – it would be unpleasant for both of them – but he doesn’t know what’s wrong and Andrew doesn’t look too good. His whole body is weirdly tensed, he’s curled up in strange position and his face is paler than usual.

“Andrew, wake up,” Neil tries again. He sits to him on the bed and Andrew finally shifts, pulling the blanket closer around his body and blinks sleepily at Neil.

“What,” he says, his voice hoarse.

Neil studies him for a moment, trying to figure out what’s wrong. This didn’t look like Andrew’s regular bad day.

“Are you sick?” Neil asks at last.

Andrew closes his eyes and hides his face more into the pillow. “No. Leave me alone.”

Usually, Neil would obey. But now he knows Andrew’s not telling the truth, so he stays sitting stubbornly by his side.

“Yes or no?” Neil asks and reaches his hand to Andrew.

The question gets Andrew’s attention in instant. He glares at Neil and then at his hand, hovering above Andrew’s face. “Yes.”

Neil gently pushes Andrew’s hair out of his face and touches his forehead. His skin is hot and damp. “Why didn’t you tell anyone you’re not feeling well?”

Andrew rolls his eyes. “I’m perfectly okay.”

Neil wonders if this is how Andrew feels when Neil says _I’m fine_. “You have a fever,” he points out.

“Irrelevant.”

Neil sighs. He himself is used to functioning while being sick; his mother never allowed him to slow down or god forbid stop when he was ill, so he isn’t sure what’s he supposed to do with Andrew. Fortunately, he knows someone who should know.

“Stay here,” he tells Andrew as he gets up. Andrew grunts something indistinguishable in response and pulls the blanket over his head.

Neil shakes his head and swiftly walks to the other dorm. He doesn’t bother with knocking. He finds Aaron there, sitting on the couch with a textbook on his lap. He barely looks up to acknowledge Neil’s presence.

“I need your help,” Neil says, trying his best to not make it sound bitter.

Aaron doesn’t move. “I’m busy.”

“It’s Andrew.”

Aaron glances at Neil so fast it surprises him. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s sick.”

Aaron’s eyes narrow at Neil. “Sick?” He repeats.

Neil starts to wish he called Nicky instead. “He has a fever,” he supplies.

Aaron frowns, more in confusion than anger. “And what do you expect me to do?”

“Maybe go and check if it’s nothing serious?” Neil suggests, this time unable to keep his tone friendly.

Aaron sighs but closes the book and gets up. He mumbles something under his breath which Neil doesn’t quite catch, but that’s probably for the better.

When Aaron steps inside the bedroom and finds Andrew curled up in bed, his stoic expression crumbles a bit. For once, Andrew doesn’t look so dangerous.

Andrew’s eyes snap open when Aaron approaches him and he certainly doesn’t seem happy to see his twin. “Where’s Neil?” He asks.

Aaron rolls his eyes. “Right here.” Neil steps beside Aaron so Andrew can see him. It relaxes him a little.

Aaron kneels next to the bed and reaches for Andrew, who immediately retreats from him. Neil grabs Aaron’s wrist before he can touch Andrew.

Aaron glares at the striker. “How am I supposed to check up on him if you won’t allow me to touch him?” He asks coldly.

Neil frowns. He knows very well how Andrew hates being touched, especially when he’s not feeling well, and the idea of anyone putting his hands on him without asking makes Neil’s skin crawl.

“Andrew? Yes or no?” Neil asks softly.

Andrew doesn’t look very happy but nods. “Yes.”

Neil lets go of Aaron, but gives him a warning look first. Aaron rolls his eyes again and feels Andrew’s forehead. “Tell me what hurts.”

Andrew swats his hand away when Aaron lets it linger on his skin a second too long than absolutely necessary. “Listening to your stupid voice,” Andrew retorts.

“I’m going to drag you to the hospital,” Aaron threatens him.

Andrew scoffs. “Try that and I’ll stab you.”

“Andrew. Just answer him?” Neil says, more of a question, a request than an order.

Andrew sighs. “Head. Throat. Stomach. I don’t know. Everything.”

Aaron nods. “Okay. Did you take any pills?”

“No.”

“Do we have some medicine here?” Aaron asks Neil.

Neil shrugs. “Aspirin.”

Aaron frowns. “That won’t do. This looks like a flu.” He stands up and walks out of the bedroom, Neil tailing behind him. “I’ll go to buy some. Can I borrow the car?”

Neil gazes at him and then at the bedroom door. He definitely doesn’t want to let Aaron borrow the car. If Andrew found out, he’d kill them both. But this is for his good. Neil sighs and fishes out the keys. “If you as much as scratch it, Andrew’ll murder you,” he reminds Aaron.

“I know,” Aaron replies and snatches the keys. “Make him some hot tea in the meantime,” he adds and leaves before Neil can answer.

Neil obediently makes Andrew hot lemon tea and when he returns back to the bedroom, Andrew, without taking the blanket of his face, mutters: “I want ice cream.”

Neil sighs. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I hate you.”

Denying Andrew ice cream is life hazard and Neil is very well aware of that. “Are you always this nice when you’re sick?” He asks lightly.

“I’m not sick.”

Neil rolls his eyes. Arguing is obviously pointless. “How about hot chocolate?” He suggests.

Andrew hums something indistinguishable but it sounds like consent. So Neil makes him hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows he knows Andrew likes.

Andrew drinks it slowly and frowns at the cup and at Neil, but Neil doesn’t mind. Andrew doesn’t look good and Neil isn’t sure what else to do to make him feel better.

Fortunately Aaron returns soon enough and starts fixing the medicine in the kitchen when Neil joins him.

“This is a kids medicine,” Neil points out at the cherry flavor.

Aaron smirks. “Yeah. I’d love to see you try forcing Andrew into swallowing the bitter adult one.”

Neil realizes Aaron has a point. Andrew would probably spit it all over the carpet.

“Give it to him every six hours until the fever goes away,” Aaron instructs.

“Okay. Oh, he wanted some ice cream.”

“Absolutely not. If he’s hungry make him some soup.”

Andrew wasn’t big fan of soups either. Neil sighs. “Sure.”

Aaron gives him a suspicious look. “I have to go to class. Are you sure you’ll handle him?”

“Yeah. We’ll be fine.”

Neil goes back to the bedroom with the medicine. “Would you drink this?”

Andrew gazes at him and at the bright pink medicine. “What is that?”

“Medicine. But it’s a cherry favored one.”

Andrew rolls his eyes but obediently takes it and drinks it. Neil wants to get up again, but Andrew tugs at the hem of his shirt in silent demand.

“Yes?” Neil asks.

“Stay.”

Neil lies down next to Andrew and Andrew curls closer to him, muttering something about Neil being warm. Neil hides a smile and when Andrew allows him to touch him, Neil wraps his arms around Andrew and closes his eyes.

When Aaron gets back to the monster’s dorm some time later, he finds Nicky in the kitchen, no sign of Neil. “How’s Andrew?” He asks instead of greeting.

Nicky blinks at him in confusion. “What?”

“Andrew,” Aaron repeats. “He’s sick, didn’t Josten tell you?”

“Oh. No.”

Aaron frowns. Stupid Josten. “Where’s he anyway?”

“Neil? I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I came,” Nicky says.

Oh for fuck’s sake. Did Josten left Andrew? Aaron’s so going to kill him. He had _one_ stupid job.

He opens the door to the bedroom and peeks at Andrew’s body hidden under the blanket. “Andrew?”

To Aaron’s surprise, auburn head emerges from the blankets. “Shh, he just fell asleep,” Neil hisses quietly, looking over sleeping Andrew.

Oh. _Oh_. Aaron does his best to look anywhere but his twin and his stupid boyfriend. Neil’s hair is a mess and there’s a pillow pattern on his cheek, indicating he’s been lying in the bed with Andrew this whole time. “Did he drink the medicine?” Aaron asks to redirect his attention elsewhere.

“Yes.”

“He has to take another dose –”

“– in three hours, I know,” Neil assures him.

Maybe Aaron is overthinking this. Maybe Josten isn’t so useless. Maybe he’s able to take care of Andrew. “I’ll tell Nicky to make the soup.”

Neil smiles. “Okay.”

Aaron turns to leave, but Neil stops him. “Aaron?”

Aaron glares at him. “What?”

Neil isn’t looking at him but says quiet: “Thanks.”

Aaron rolls his eyes at him and closes the door behind himself. Andrew is in good hands at least.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading <3


End file.
